PodMoments

AI and agent-driven startups

Warfront updates and strategic an...

Tech policy, national security an...

Data centers as infrastructural boom

Named the number-one icon of 2025, the global data center build-out—driven largely by AI compute demand—emerged as a huge infrastructure project with political, environmental and local economic implications across rural and urban areas.

Hard Fork’s 50 Most Iconic Technologies of 2025

From Prompt Engineering to Context Engineering

The episode argues that as models improved, the emphasis moved from crafting prompts to designing richer context (tools, retrieval, RAG patterns and data pipelines) that determines reliable behavior at inference time.

How OpenAI Builds for 800 Million Weekly Users: Model Specialization and Fine-Tuning

Separate Infrastructure and Productization for Text vs Pixels

The hosts cover why language and image/video work look different operationally—different inference stacks, team structures, and optimization approaches—which makes running both modalities in one company challenging but feasible.

How OpenAI Builds for 800 Million Weekly Users: Model Specialization and Fine-Tuning

Mental and Physical Health Consequences

The episode details research linking perfectionism to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, increased suicide risk, and even early mortality, highlighting its broad physiological and psychological toll.

#1025 - Dr Paul Hewitt - Understanding the Psychology of Perfectionism

Blob Culture, Feeders/Gainers and the Economics of Extreme Fetishes

An extended, darkly comedic dive into the internet subculture around ‘blob wives,’ feeders and gainers, exploring fetish dynamics, OnlyFans monetization ideas, ethical questions and the absurd business-minded schemes the hosts imagine around commodifying extreme body-centric fetishes.

Ep 557 - Blob Farm (feat. Nate Marshall)

Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast

17:08

Comedy

Regulation tradeoffs: safety versus competitiveness

A detailed discussion of regulatory categories (speech/content limits, illicit instruction generation, sentience/takeoff fears, and copyright) warns that overbroad precautionary rules could hamper US competitiveness without delivering proportional safety benefits.

Ben Horowitz: Why Open Source AI Will Determine America's Future

Social Media, Polarization and the Need to Listen

Jocko warns that social platforms amplify anger and simplify complex views, and recommends deliberate listening, seeking common ground, and understanding others’ perspectives to reduce polarization and make better decisions.

#257 Jocko Willink - Commander of SEAL Team-3 Task Unit Bruiser aka "The Punishers"

Excellence vs. Toxic Perfectionism

The conversation distinguishes healthy achievement and conscientious striving (excellence) from perfectionism driven by self-repair motives, emphasizing that motivation—rather than outcomes—defines toxicity.

#1025 - Dr Paul Hewitt - Understanding the Psychology of Perfectionism

Thanksgiving Family Dynamics and Political Arguments

Several stories about holiday gatherings highlight how alcohol, strong opinions and impressions (including a drunken Trump impression) turn family Thanksgivings into loud, uncensored political showdowns.

Ep 587 - PHIL (feat. Steve Gerben & Chris O'Connor)

Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast

3:24

Comedy

Open-source AI and cultural influence

Ben Horowitz argues that open weights—not just algorithms—encode values and narratives, and that Chinese open-source models (e.g., DeepSeek) have become the de facto backbone used by US companies and academia, shaping how billions of devices will interpret history, speech, and culture.

Ben Horowitz: Why Open Source AI Will Determine America's Future

Fela's Performance Ritual and Persona

Descriptions of pre-show routines — from Fela Gold and sequined outfits to dramatic entrances and a large ensemble of musicians and dancers — highlight how theatricality and charisma were integral to converting musical atmosphere into political influence.

Fela Kuti: Enter the Shrine

Free Speech, Platform Censorship and the Twitter Files

An extended discussion about tech-platform control of public discourse, the consequences of moderation and state influence, Elon Musk's Twitter purchase as an inflection point, and concerns about UK online-safety laws and self-censorship.

#2418 - Chris Williamson

The Joe Rogan Experience

11:53

Interviews